The If Factor
by The What If Factor
Summary: What if... What if Naruto had been born just a few years early? What if he had been born that same day as Itachi Uchiha? What world would be derived from such a small change?


I do not own Naruto nor do I have any affiliation to Naruto. Purely Fanfiction.

"Itachi, what the hell is going on!?" A male voice roared across a scorched battlefield. Bodies laid strewn across the ground. Cold. Unmoving. Lifeless. Three Anbu shinobi used their swords to fend off a large variety of unmarked Anbu. Their blank masks hid any affiliation that they may have had to any village. Naruto Namikaze-Hatake, age thirteen and Anbu Captain, narrowed his blue eyes behind his mask.

Naruto had been born the exact same day as one of his two best friends, Itachi Uchiha, to Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. He had, ultimately, been adopted into the Hatake clan due to… unforeseen circumstances. He had become a prodigy, easily on par with Itachi. Just like Itachi he was an Anbu Captain. More So, though it may have been by design, because he was Minato Namikaze's son, that when Itachi, Naruto, and the third Anbu Captain, Shisui Uchiha, came together, Naruto was the commander.

"I don't know, Naruto." Itachi answered back honestly as he and his two best friends came together, back-to-back-to-back. Their swords were brandished in front of themselves as the unmarked Anbu circled around them. They were impatient. They wanted to slaughter the three Anbu Captains. They didn't want to wait to do it either.

"Naruto Namikaze." Said blond haired shinobi tensed visibly as the blank Anbu leader spoke to him. None in the village knew that the Namikaze heir turned Hatake was an Anbu member. It was forbidden information. Only people in very high places knew that type of information. The unmarked Anbu leader glanced over the three marked ones. A Weasel, a racoon, and a dragon.

"What do you want." The words that left Naruto's mouth wasn't a question. It was a demanding statement.

"This does not involve you. Please remove yourself from the premises and allow us to complete our objective."

"I will not play games with you." Naruto responded harshly as his grip tighten on his sword. "Stand down and give me the information that you want, or I will dispatch you!"

"Naruto Namikaze. This does not involve you. Please remove yourself from the premises and allow us to complete our objective."

"What is your objective?" Shisui questioned as his eyes slowly bled into a crimson red.

"Konoha authorities are very well aware of the Coup D'etat that is being threatened by the Uchiha clan. We are to dispatch you, Shisui Uchiha, and Itachi Uchiha. After we dispatch you, we are to retrieve your Sharingan eyes and destroy all evidence of your existence. It is in the best interest of our village. To protect it, and one of its noble bloodlines."

"Who ordered this?" Naruto questioned harshly. His steely blue eyes narrowed as one of the blank Anbu members gripped their sword's handle tighter.

"This does not involve you. Please remove yourself from the premises-"

"Enough!" Naruto shouted as he lowered himself into a crouching position.

"Naruto." Itachi's voice drifted through the air as he shifted uncomfortably. "You don't need to do this. They're offering you a way out. I'm not going to ask you to die for a cause that is not your own. Especially when that cause is not even my own. I do not blame you for leaving."

"Good. Because I'm not leaving."

"There are more in the forest around us." Shisui added, causing Naruto to glance to him out of his peripheral vision. "Too many. They will eventually overwhelm us. No matter how good we are."

"I know. Experience and numbers are not on our side." Naruto nodded as he spoke, accepting these facts. "Those who abandon the mission are scum. But those who abandon their friends and comrades are worse than scum. What am I if I abandon my brothers? You two… You two and Kakashi are all I have left. I am no longer a Namikaze. You are my family. I will not leave you to be killed and your eyes scraped out."

"Naruto…"

"Enough talking." Naruto interrupted as he produced a tri pronged kunai knife. The signature symbol of one of the two techniques his biological father had taught him, before the circumstances that had split them apart. "Now we fight." The unmarked Anbu leader nodded his head in response.

"So be it… Naruto Hatake." The unmarked Anbu member reached over his shoulder, producing his sword. Then, his eyes widened as a yellow flash sped past his towards his comrades. A large gash splashed open across his chest. Then, he fell to the ground with his already fallen comrades. It was within very few seconds that the Hatake-Uchiha Trio had dispatched half of the visible blank Anbu members.

"Katon: Goukakyuu No Jutsu!" A large fireball danced over the battlefield, incinerating the lifeless bodies that lined the ground. Some of the blank Anbu were not quick enough to outmaneuver the large fireball. Their screams pierced the night's air as the smell of burnt flesh penetrated the remaining living being's noses.

"Rasengan!" The unmarked Anbu members were far too slow to stop the technique from piercing their bodies, leaving them to fall to the ground. One of the blank Anbu attempted to slice through the yellow flash. Naruto launched himself high into the air before bringing his attack down. The enemy Anbu's mask shattered into a thousand pieces as his skull exploded in a grotesque display of blood and gore.

"Naruto!" Naruto halted at Itachi's panicked voice, slicing through an Anbu's throat with his sword. The black haired Uchiha's eyes had become a strange shuriken shaped black on red pattern. In his arms he held Shisui, whom had taken some type of technique to the abdomen region to protect Itachi. A large hole now gaped in the Uchiha's body as his head lolled from side to side.

"Shisui!" Naruto launched a Hiraishin Kunai across the battlefield as Shisui grabbed Itachi's hair, bringing his head down near his lips. His mouth moved silently as he whispered something into Itachi's ear. Naruto's yellow flash shot across the field as his sword slashed through a number of their enemies. Shisui's body hit the ground as Itachi moved to fend off a number of the invaders. Naruto halted in place.

He had seen many people die. Countless people had died by his hand. It had given the Hatake clan name 'The Cold-Blooded Hatake Clan', due to the fact Kakashi and he shared the same brutality streak against enemies. He had seen many comrades die. Day after day. It was unavoidable in a world such as what they lived in. But he had never seen someone that he viewed as a brother, no one he had ever viewed as family, die before his eyes.

His body felt numb. Felt as though everything were tingling. He felt as though he couldn't breath. As though every ounce of oxygen had been ripped out of his body, just as it had Shisui's. The world around him seemed bleak and unmoving. As if he were frozen in time. But he wasn't. "Naruto, watch out!" Itachi's voice pierced the air, breaking Naruto from his reverie.

Itachi's hands grabbed Naruto by the shoulders, throwing him to the ground as a sword pierced his chest. Naruto's eyes widened and pain erupted in his own chest, though not physical. "Itachi! Why!? Why did you save me!?"

"Because… You're my brother." Itachi answered simply as he grabbed the blade of the sword that was buried in his chest. In one quick motion he ripped it from his chest, shocking his attacker, before he sliced through said human's throat. Naruto struggled to fight to his fight. Shock was taking over his body, and now was not the time to let that happen. If he didn't do something soon he was going to lose another brother.

"Itachi…"

"I'm sorry… Naruto. I doubt there will be another mission…"

"Don't talk like that! You're going to be okay! You're going to-"

"Naruto, promise me something. Promise me you'll end the conflict between my clan and my village. Promise me you'll take care of my baby brother if something happens. Promise me you'll take care of Sasuke."

"Itachi-"

"Promise me!"

"I promise, Itachi! Please stop talking like this! Please-"

"Thank you… Naruto." Itachi's foot lashed out and slammed into Naruto's skull, cracking his mask. His head snapped to the side and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Then, everything was dark. Everything was blank.

When Naruto woke again, he was unsure of how much time had passed. The battle against the unmarked Anbu had taken place during the night. It was now daytime. His eyes stung violently, and a searing pain erupted through his head as he tried to sit up. A hand on his chest startled him, causing him to jump to his feet. His body swayed, dizzy, as he looked down. It was Itachi's hand that had been on his chest.

Shisui and Itachi lay side by side, lifeless. Their eyelids were closed, but devoid of eyes. Pain flared through Naruto's own as he glanced around. Black flames licked the ground around them. It charred the dead bodies of those that had dared to ambush them. A short message was written on Itachi flak jacket in blood. It simply read, 'Our eyes are yours, Naruto'. "Itachi…"

"_Itachi… Give my eyes… to Naruto…_"

Itachi had lived long enough to eradicate their enemies where Naruto had failed. Then, he had met Shisui's dying wish and added onto it with his own. Admittedly, there could have been the chance that Naruto would feel the same effects that Kakashi did with Obito's eye. But there was one minor detail.

Itachi was better at Medical Ninjutsu than Rin Nohara had been.

Naruto shuffled forward before dropping to his knees. Reaching over, he unbuckled Itachi's necklace, and Shisui's Tanto holster. "I'll return for you both… I swear it. I'll return and you'll get a proper burial. It won't be long…" Tears streamed down Naruto's cheeks as he clenched his teeth violently. "Please… Forgive me for failing you my brothers… Please…" There was no more left to say. Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash, heading toward his village. Konohagakure No Sato.

Minato Namikaze lifted his head wearily as the doors to his office slammed open. His son, Naruto, entered the room. His form brought a brief smile to his face. He loved his son very much. Circumstances had just split them away from each other. "Naruto." The smile that Minato had been able to conjure dropped as he observed his son. His body was in a rough state, and he was obviously injured. His bright blue eyes were now black bottomless pits. His right hand clutched his sword tightly and his dragon Anbu mask was cracked. "What happened!?"

Naruto lifted his head. Then he took the sword he held in his hand and stabbed it into the ground. "I, Hatake Naruto, unfortunately bear the news that my comrades, Itachi and Shisui Uchiha, have been killed in action." Minato's eyes widened to considerable proportions. Naruto's Hatake-Uchiha Trio seemed to be unbeatable. Seemed invincible. They had never returned from a mission with more than just a few scratches.

"Wh-"

"East of the Gates. Their bodies are still there. I had nothing to bring them back with. I request… No… I demand that you dispatch a squadron, and retrieve their bodies. Bring them back and have them buried properly." Minato nodded his head with a wave of his hand. Two more Anbu appeared, a bear and a boar.

"Dispatch a unit to retrieve Itachi and Shisui Uchiha's bodies immediately. If their bodies are not found, hunt down anyone in the vicinity. Find their bodies."

"Hai." The two disappeared just as quickly as they had arrived.

"Naruto, I'm so-"

"Unmarked Anbu. That's who ambushed us. Who are they?"

"Unmarked… Anbu?" Minato questioned, receiving a sharp nod from his son. "I've… Well, actually, there used to be a branch of Anbu that wore different Anbu masks than the regular branch. Sometimes unmarked, but not all of the time. They were the Ne Division. But Sandaime-Sama disbanded them years ago."

"They're back." Naruto replied as he removed his Anbu mask from his face. "Lord Fourth, I am resigning as Anbu Captain." Minato's eyes widened once again.

"What?"

"I am resigning as Anbu Captain. I was not fit to protect my brothers, I am not fit to lead a squadron."

"Will you not reconsider?"

"I will accept a demotion to any Anbu Squadron." Minato released a weary sigh as he laid his head down onto his desk. His years in the office of Hokage were becoming something of a ruin. Especially since the day that Hiruzen Sarutobi had sealed half of the Kyuubi's chakra into his daughter. The other half he had sealed into himself and taken to the grave.

"Very well. I, Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage, hereby demote Naruto Hatake from the position of Anbu Captain to Anbu member, to be under the command of Kakashi Hatake." Minato didn't have to raise his head, but he knew that he received another sharp nod from his son.

"Arigato."

"You're… Welcome, Naruto." Lifting his head, he found Naruto just about to exit his office. His sword was still lodged in his wooden floor. "Naruto?"

"Hai, Yondaime-Sama?" Minato's fellow blond questioned in return.

"Your eyes-"

"Itachi and Shisui will need their eyes bandaged for burial." Minato closed his eyes slowly and placed his forehead in his hands. It was just as he thought. "It was their final gifts to me. Fair warning, the tension between the Uchiha and Konohagakure… Ends now."

"They're planning a Coup D'etat."

"I know."

"Itachi was to end his clan's existence."

"I figured as much. That won't happen. I will take Itachi's position and eliminate any Uchiha I must. However… I will not slaughter an entire clan. And neither will any other shinobi. The Uchiha Clan are both under my blade, and under my protection." With his piece spoken, Naruto exited the Hokage's office, leaving Minato behind to stare at his lodged sword.

"I'm sorry… Naruto…"

"Kakashi Nii San." Kakashi's single visible eye glanced up boredly as he sat on a park bench. He wore the typical armor he was normally seen wearing when off of Anbu Duty. He took in the site of his adopted brother, Naruto. Naruto wore his hair in the exact same manner that Kakashi's former Sensei, Minato, did. Complete with even the bangs hanging down the sides of his face.

He wore a half face mask attached to a muscle shirt, exactly as Kakashi himself did. Though Naruto wore his mask for reasons separate of Kakashi's. A pair of black pants and black sandals completed his outfit. His hiatate, strangely enough, was pulled down over both of his eyes. He wasn't dressed as he normally would have been off duty, which was in of itself strange. Seeking Kakashi out in public was even stranger.

"What is it, Naruto?"

"We have to talk."

"About?"

"Many things."

"Does one of those things include why your eyes are covered by your forehead protector?"

"That. My mission. Itachi. Shisui. My position in the shinobi force." Kakashi nodded grimly as he stood to his feet. Naruto's tone relayed a message to Kakashi. Something was wrong. And the silver haired shinobi had a fleeting idea of what it was.

"I see. Is that all?"

"No. I also have to ask you a favor…"

Natsumi Namikaze huffed indignantly as she sat within the Konoha Shinobi Academy. Recently passed to the rank of being a Genin, she was extremely annoyed that her new Sensei had not yet arrived to collect her and her team. Her squadron, Squad Fifteen, had been assigned to the tutelage of Naruto Hatake. But he was late.

Glancing to the side, her blue eyes took in the site of those in the room with her. Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, both of which shared the same squadron as her. Arashi Kazama, an orphan who modeled himself heavily after Natsumi's own father, Minato. Karin Uzumaki, Natsumi's own cousin. And finally, Kohada Uchiha, a relative of Sasuke's.

Arashi had, dyed, blond hair styled, poorly, in Natsumi's father's image. His eyes were green, breaking the facade that he tried to put on as her father's double. He had seen, as many academy students had, the Genin photo of her father. Therefore, he wore the exact same clothing her father had as a genin. A tracksuit with three stripes on the sleeves, mesh under armour, a pair of black pants and sandals. It made her uncomfortable because she wore the same clothing as her mother, Kushina, had as a Genin.

Karin wore a lavender long sleeve shirt, that came down slightly over a pair of black shorts that came down to her knees. On her feet she wore thigh high black shinobi sandals. Her eyes were crimson, and her hair, just like Natsumi, was the Uzumaki red. It was spiky and unkempt on the right side, but straight on the left. She also wore a pair of glasses.

Kohada simply wore the traditional type of Uchiha clothing that was the normal for the shinobi clan. Very similar to Sasuke's, except fit, obviously, for her female form. She had, unlike the majority of the Uchiha clan, brown hair. And her black eyes seemed to be a much lighter shade than most of her clansmen.

They all belonged to the same Squadron, Squadron Seven, under the tutelage of Kakashi Hatake.

"Oh my God!" Natsumi could no longer contain her emotions any more as she jumped to her feet. "This is ridiculous! It's been three hours- _**Three hours**_- since Iruka announced the teams! Everyone else was gone in fifteen minutes, _including_ Iruka-Sensei! And, oh, surprise surprise! We got two people named Hatake, and they're both late!"

"No. You're all just exceptionally early." A voice broke through Natsumi's rage as the door to their former classroom slid open. Two males entered. One, with silver hair, wearing the standard Jouin uniform with a half face mask, and his hiatate pulled over one eye.

The other, the one who had spoke, had blond haired styled exactly like her father's. A perfect image of it actually. The sight of it made Natsumi want to vomit. Another fanboy of her father, so it seemed. He wore a black shirt that extended upwards into a half face mask, identical to the one the silver haired man wore. Over the shirt he wore a kimono like top. The top was white with red 'triangle' edges around the sleeves, which came down to his elbows, and the bottom. Two large red lines ran vertically up the open part of each side of the top, around his neck, ending at the back of his shirt.

A red sash held the shirt tied together. Pulled on over this was a harness for a tanto that ran across his chest and fastened over both his shoulder. A tanto with small circular handguard was sheathed in the harness. Around his neck, he wore a necklace around his neck, with three silver rings with red gems inside them. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the necklace. He had seen it before. Wrapped around his wrists were black wristguards. He wore a pair of black shinobi pants, and strapped up black sandals. Most bizarre though, was the fact that he had his eyes hidden behind his hiatate.

"My first impression of you all… I don't like you." The silver haired man stated, allowing his eye to slip into a 'U' shape to show that he was smiling. This action caused the newly crowned Genin to stare at him, exasperated.

"My name is Naruto Hatake." The blond haired shinobi stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Team fifteen, gather your things and follow me." The shinobi commanded before he turned and began to walk away. The silver haired man allowed his eye to turn upside down once again.

"Good luck to you three. I doubt my little brother will take it easy on you. Squad Seven, I'm Kakashi Hatake. You're with me. Meet me on the roof. I don't feel like going far from here like my brother."

Natsumi glanced to the side and watched as Sakura fidgeted uncomfortably. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the pink haired girl's antics. They stood in Konoha's graveyard, where their new sensei had taken them. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his head downcast as if he were looking at gravestones through the hiatate that covered his eyes. "Welcome to the life of a shinobi."

"E-Excuse me?" Sakura's shaky voice asked, causing a small smirk to cover their sensei's face.

"Do you have any idea what you've signed yourself up for?" Naruto asked, though he barely gave them anytime to even ponder the question. "You've signed up to be a murderer. You've signed up to take lives. To watch your friends die. To do what you're told and when you're told to do it. And you face dire consequences when you don't… Nevertheless, I am your sensei and you now answer to me.

"You are now Squadron Fifteen. That means that you're a team. But there is no team if the teammates don't know each other. Let's get to know each other."

"How so?" Natsumi questioned, causing her sensei to shrug in response.

"I don't know. Likes… Dislikes. Hobbies. Dreams for the future."

"Why don't you show us?" Sakura asked, causing another shrug to be given.

"My name is Naruto Hatake. I like… I dislike… I have some hobbies… I don't dream anymore. That's about it."

"Really?"

"You'll get used to vague responses."

"Why are you here as a sensei if you're going to be so vague!?"

"Because I was removed from my previous duties." Naruto answered simply. "Now, your turn. Let's start with the pink one." Sakura's eyes widened. How could he have known she had red hair?

"How did you-"

"Please get on with your introduction."

"Ah.. Um… My name's Sakura Haruno! I like…" The pink haired girl trailed off and stared at Sasuke from the corner of her eyes, a pink tint covering her cheeks. "I dislike… Vague Senseis!"

"Then we'll get along splendidly, won't we?"

Sakura frowned angrily at her Senseis back before she continued. "My hobbies include…" Again, she trailed off, flancing to Sasuke, who frowned deeply. "My dream is to…" Her face turned a deep shade of red and she squealed rather loudly, causing her new sensei to grimace.

"Right. Red, you're next." Natsumi glared angrily at her senseis back.

"If you must know, I am Natsumi Namikaze… The Yondaime Hokage's daughter?" Natsumi had tacked that part on the end on when she saw no visible reaction from her Sensei. Did he not realize how important she was?

"That holds no sentiment to me. I couldn't care less if you were the Shodaime Hokage's daughter. A title like that means nothing in the shinobi world, unless you're looking to get dispatched at an early age."

"You… My likes include training, hanging out with my friends, and my family. I dislike you."

"You wound me." Naruto answered dryly.

"My hobbies include training, and gardening. My Dream… My Dreams… Are to find out exactly what my Tousan and Okasan keep secret from my. I know it's something big. And to grow up and take my father's mantle, my rightful place, as the Hokage of Konoha!" Natsumi stood to her feet, pumping her fist into the air.

"Many have tried for such a dream. Only four have succeeded." Natsumi glared at her sensei once again, tears trying to sting her eyes. Who was he to tell her such a thing? "Okay, Sasuke, you're last." Sakura's eyes became confused as Sasuke opened his mouth.

"You know Sasuke-Ku-"

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha." The black haired boy stated with a smile, while jamming his thumb into his chest. "I like my village, my clan, and Naruto-Sensei. I dislike fangirls, people who don't take being a shinobi seriously, and people who talk badly about Naruto-Sensei. My hobbies include training, hanging around my clan compound, hanging out with friends and hanging out with Naruto- Sensei.

"My dreams… Well, they're more of ambitions really. Because I want them to become reality, are to carry on the memory of my brother, protect my village as he did, and… To become Hokage, to end any and all rivalry between my village and my clan!" Silence ensued as Natsumi glanced angrily to her comrade. He would receive that office over her dead body.

"An admirable ambition."

"What!?" Natsumi questioned, stepping forward. "I give that answer to you and you give me bullshit statistics! Sasuke does and it's 'admirable'! What kind of right off the bat favoritism fuck show are you running!?"

"You have no reason to become Hokage." Naruto answered simply. "You don't even realize what the position of Hokage means, and could mean. You simply want the title because you feel it is your birthright to have it, as your father did. Sasuke intends to make a difference. That intention shows that he knows the meaning behind the position of Hokage. Develop a real reason to become Hokage, find something to make a difference for… And then your dream is admirable."

Natsumi glared at her, unknown to her, biological brother. "You may glare all you want. These two graves I've been staring at, belong to my two best friends." Sakura released a horrified gasp as Sasuke grimaced with a nod. "Both were Uchiha. Both died because of the conflict between the Uchiha clan and their village. I understand Sasuke's reasoning. I do not understand your reasoning that you should be Hokage, simply because you are… Namikaze.

"Nevertheless, find me tomorrow at the training ground. You will begin your Genin test."

"We've already passed that!" Sakura interrupted, causing Naruto to shake his head.

"No, you passed the academy test, stating that you have the potential to be shinobi. But now every team will take the genin test, to prove that they have what it takes to be shinobi. Any who fail will automatically be sent back to the academy."

"That's not fair!"

"Yes it is. If you do not have what it takes to be shinobi, you have no right to be one. You would only endanger yourself, and others. Fair warning, this test has a 99.9% failure rate. Here are your instruction. Wake up at four in the morning and go through exercises, practice any time of techniques you know. Perform double the academy regime. Do not eat breakfast. You'll throw up. Oversleep and don't do the regime, your body will lock up. You will be here at six in the morning. You are dismissed."

Natsumi and Sakura quickly fled the graveyard, both cursing their new teacher inwardly. Sasuke lingered behind for a moment, and watched as his sensei slid to his knees, placing his hands on the two tombstone in front of himself, while bowing his head. Then, he too left. Naruto always needed time to himself to visit his friends.

Natsumi glared harshly at Naruto as she doubled over. The Hatake clan member looked in her direction, his hiatate placed firmly over his eyes, as it always was. "You… bastard!"

"Is there a problem, Namikaze?"

"You're damn right there's a problem! You made us get up at four and be here at six! It's Nine Fucking O Clock!"

"So it is."

"I'm starving you conceited bastard!" Naruto simply chuckled in response as he shoved his hands into his pockets before he began moving forward. "What so funny!?"

"You all." Naruto replied as he turned around, his hidden eyes scanning over the three genin. They were all worn out, and obviously hungry. Even Sasuke, someone who knew Naruto personally. "My instructions were the beginning of your test. Yes, it is important to follow instructions. But… Sometimes, instructions are damaging.

"You woke up at four and went through a regime. You woke up, exhausted. And you exhausted yourself further. You wasted chakra, and you wore your bodies down. And then, you ate nothing. Another crippling factor. Why? How are you going to pass a test when all you can think about is the food that's not in your stomach?"

"You bastard…" Sakura moaned as she leaned against a tree.

"You tricked us…" Naruto's head moved to Sasuke as he spoke.

"You of all people should understand this, Sasuke. I've known you for a long, long time. That does not mean I will exclude you from any and all consequences your team faces. If you wish to ignore basic intelligence, then you will face the consequences. Rule Number One, avoid all problems that may cripple you in battle."

Sasuke grit his teeth. How could he have been so stupid? Of course Naruto was testing them. He was a true shinobi. Sasuke had known him before Itachi's death, and had come to know him as an older brother figure since then. But he had never favorited Sasuke. When training him, Naruto expected him to figure things out on his own, as he would in the field.

"Now, with your crippling hunger and fatigue aside, your task is simple…" Naruto produced two bells. "Take these from me. You have until noon. If you do not receive a bell… Then you fail and I send you back to the academy."

"But, Sensei… There are only two bells." Sakura interrupted, causing Naruto to nod.

"That's right. That means that there's a one hundred percent chance that at least one of you are going back to the academy." Sakura gasped in shock as Naruto lowered the bells and attached them to his belt. "Come at me with the intent to kill, or you'll definitely fail."

"That's not fair though." Natsumi shot back. "There's three of us, and only one of you! We don't want to kill you!"

"Come at me to kill me… Or do yourself a favor and just go back to the academy." Producing a timer from within his kimono like top, Naruto adjusted the time. "You have until noon, and your time begins… Now!" The three Genin disappeared quickly, causing Naruto to glance around. They hid themselves rather well. That was plus. But that was not their test.

"Well…" Naruto reached into his Kimono top before he produced a book with a blood stained kunai knife and a Konohagakure No Sato hiatate on the cover. "I suppose I have time to read then."

"What the hell!?" Naruto said nothing as his hiatate covered eyes glanced over his shoulder. "You give us until noon, and you're just going to stand there with a book!? For God's sake, you can't even read!"

"Is that what you believe?" Naruto questioned in response. "That I cannot see? That because I am not a Hyuuga or an Uchiha, that I am blind? Allow me to introduce you to the truth, Namikaze." Natsumi scowled as she stood, unprotected, in the same clearing as Naruto. "My name is Naruto Hatake." The book that he had produced slid back into his top before he slid down into a crouched stance. "Lesson number one, Taijutsu." Natsumi released almost a primal roar as she charged forwards.

"Your sloppy." Naruto stated as he ducked down underneath her fist. "You let your anger hold you." Natsumi launched herself into the air before attempting to slam her foot into the older male's head. The shin of the Namikaze slammed into her brother's forearm as he blocked the attack. As Natsumi came back down onto the ground, Naruto's knee slammed viciously into her abdomen.

The Namikaze doubled over in pain as Naruto kicked off in the ground, performing a backflip, his foot slamming into her chin. Natsumi fell to the ground, her vision spinning wildly as her sensei came to stand over her. "And that's why you're weak." Everything went black for the red headed Uzumaki member. Sasuke grit his teeth as he watched from a nearby tree.

"He's so… strong…"

"Who's my next contestant…?"

Sakura backed out of her hiding place and ran. She was terrified. Her sensei had just decimated the Yondaime's daughter. How could he have done such a thing. With two simple maneuvers he had lain the Yellow Flash's daughter out. What chance did the pinkette have against the blond haired Jounin? She wasn't in Natsumi's league at all. Sakura was only booksmart. "Sa… kura…"

The pink haired genin halted in place as she turned and looked, shocked. Sasuke stood, his body mutilated. Blood seemed to drip from his pores themselves, and he was missing a few select body parts. "Sa… Sasuke… Kun?"

"Sakura… Please… Help me…" The pink haired girl's body slammed into the ground as Naruto watched from an overhanging tree branch. His hiatate lifted to his forehead, his black eyes stared at the girl with disinterest.

"My simplest illusion… And she couldn't even break it…?" Glancing to the sky, Naruto grimaced. Thirty minutes had already passed. Sighing, he glanced back down to Sakura. "Lesson Number Two, Genjutsu. Now for my third contestant." Naruto launched himself off of the tree branch he stood on as shuriken and kunai alike slammed into the tree.

Naruto landed off in a clearing as Sasuke slammed against the tree Naruto had stood on before launching himself straight into Naruto path. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he met Naruto's eyes. Shockingly, it was the first time that Sasuke had seen Naruto's eyes. But he knew the story behind them. All Uchiha did. Quite a few shinobi did. Shinobi outside of the village knew the story behind the eyes. They weren't Naruto's own. They were his best friend's. His brother's. Itachi and Shisui Uchiha's eyes.

Those eyes in Naruto's skull partially belonged to Sasuke biological brother.

"Activate the Sharingan." Sasuke demanded as he cracked his neck. "You're going to need it."

"No.. I won't." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and began flipping through hand signs. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he produced a tri pronged kunai knife. "Lesson Three… Ninjutsu."

"Katon Goukakyuu No Jutsu!" As Sasuke's fireball sailed across the small clearing, Naruto disappeared in what was now a white flash. The fireball slammed into the area that Naruto had stood in, just as Naruto's voice entered Sasuke ears.

"Rasengan!" Sasuke turned around, finding a spiralling ball of chakra inches away from his face. Sasuke's eyes widened as he stumbled backwards. Naruto watched as a premade clone slammed his elbow into the back of Sasuke's neck, sending him down to the ground. "Shame… It's already ten.." Sighing, Naruto rolled his head around his shoulders, cracking his neck. Within a second, he had disappeared, leaving Sasuke laying, unconscious.

"Ok… We need a plan." Sasuke glanced to Natsumi as she spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. Sakura sat nearby, head lolling back and forth as she drifted between conscious and unconscious.

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't working. We're never going to get those bells from him working alone. We have a better chance working together."

"Yeah right." Sakura snorted as she stood to her feet, woozy. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to manipulate the situation and make sure that you get a bell. You don't even care that it'll separate me and Sasuke-Kun!"

"No, Sakura, Natsumi's right. If there's one thing Naruto's taught me… It's that shinobi are required to look underneath the underneath. We have to decipher the true purpose of everything. There's a hidden meaning behind this test, and I'm not sure that the bells have anything to do with it at all." Sakura turned to Sasuke, aghast.

"She's… really tricked you, hasn't she, Sasuke-Kun? That's ok… I'll… I'll figure out a way to get both of those bells! And then we'll be on the same squadron! Just wait and see, Sasuke-Kun!" Sakura moved forward, rushing off into the surrounding forestry.

"Sakura, no!"

"We still need to work together." Natsumi stated as Sasuke watched after Sakura. Then, he nodded.

"Right. If we run across her though-" As Sakura's scream pierced the air once again, Natsumi grimaced.

"I don't think that we will."

"Back for more, finally?" Naruto voice questioned as he stood in the center of the same clearing in which his genin team's exam had started in. It was currently eleven fifty. Having spoken to Kakashi, he had already learned the fate of Kakashi's team.

Sasuke and Natsumi stood side by side, glaring at the Hatake clan member. He stood, his hiatate over his eyes, in a very relaxed stance. His head was lowered, with a book in his left hand, as if he were reading it. The book was simply titled 'Living and Dying a Shinobi'. "We're taking those bells."

"_We?"_

"Natsumi and I." Sasuke clarified as he brandished a kunai, in an act that was copied by Natsumi. "We may not be able to take you on separately… But together we have a better chance!"

"Then you have time for one more lesson before I send you packing back to the academy." Naruto stated simply as he reached over his shoulder and produced his tanto. It was a straight-bladed tanto. The same tanto that Konoha's legendary White Fang had wielded. "Lesson Number Four Kenjutsu."

His duo of genin rushed forward, thrusting their kunai knives forward to attack their opponent. He brought his tanto down in a vertical slash. A line of white chakra followed after the blade as the weapon halted the two kunai knives. Slashing horizontally, the jounin sent the two knives flying away to the side. "You two." The tanto slashed dangerously, causing the two genin to stumble over themselves in an attempt to save themselves. "Will never." His foot struck out, slamming into Sasuke's chest. "Defeat me like this!" The hilt of his sword slammed into Natsumi's forehead.

As Natsumi stumbled to the ground, and Sasuke jumped away to flip through hand signs, the alarm that Naruto had set for noon rang out loudly. "And time is up." Sasuke stood, his hands in a seal, shocked. Natsumi stared up at the sky, heartbroken. Sakura found herself slipping through the treeline, disheveled. "Well, I wish I could say I was impressed… but I wasn't."

"Sensei-"

"No. Listen. When this test began you all rushed away, intent on getting one of these bells for yourself, and saving a spot for yourselves on the ninja corpse. But none of you stopped and thought of the true meaning of the test. Natsumi, you thought that you could take me in a Taijutsu battle, one on one. Learn the meaning of level.

"Learn the meaning between Genin and Jounin. Sakura, you were so wrapped up in yourself and Sasuke, you couldn't even discern the difference between my weakest Genjutsu. Sasuke, despite the fact that you know me… You know what I can do… And you still had an inkling idea that you could defeat me in one on one Ninjutsu? However…" The team looked at him with hope in their eyes.

"Sasuke, Natsumi, you two pulled together there at the end. You did what true shinobi do. You looked underneath the underneath. Sakura, you were a disappointment. Sasuke and Natsumi offered you a chance to be a team, and you decline for stupid reasons. As, Sakura, you've failed the genin test. I can only send you back to the academy, however, I would sincerely contemplate dropping from the shinobi program all together."

Sakura stared at Naruto, shocked. Tears gathered in her eyes as she shook her head violently before she bolted away. "Screw you! You'll regret this!" Naruto's hiatate covered eyes stared after the girl before Sasuke broke his reverie.

"But, Naruto-Sensei, if Sakura failed that would make this a two man unit. There needs to be three to be a cell."

"And you couldn't have used that information to deduce the meaning behind my test?" Naruto questioned, causing Sasuke to lower his head in shame. "To answer your question… Yes. Normally you would get sent back to the academy as well. However, this is now Squadron Fifteen. Comprised of the two genin that passed my test and the one that passed Kakashi's. Sasuke Uchiha, Natsumi Namikaze, and Karin Uzumaki. You are under the double tutelage of Kakashi and Naruto Hatake. Meet at training ground seven tomorrow morning."

"But-"

"Don't be surprised. The Namikaze heir, two Uchihas, and and a clansman to Kushina Uzumaki all being sent back to the academy… All because of the Hatake brothers? The village would be in an uproar. This is part luck, part natural, and partly by design. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Remember that." With that, Naruto disappeared into a plume of smoke.

I do not have a beta reader, and I do not read over these... Sorry... The basis for Naruto's outfit is the image for the story. The cover I guess.


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